Southern Fried Blues (The Officers' Ex-Wives Club)

by Jamie Farrell

  “I’ll look at it when I get home.”

  Anna moved to slide the note and the box into her purse, but Kaci dropped her coffee and lunged across the table. “Now that’s no fun. How’m I supposed to giggle over it with you if you’re not gonna open it with me?”

  Anna wasn’t sure there would be any giggling. But she slid a finger under the envelope flap anyway.

  The note was written in the same bold handwriting on a linen note card. Not what she expected of a guy whose hand mixer had only one beater. His momma must’ve kept him stocked in stationery.

  But she was pretty sure his momma wouldn’t have approved of the message.

  Anna Grace,

  Thanks for making my kitchen right nice-looking. Next time you come over, you bring a pie, and I’ll play you for my living room. Might even toss in another box of chocolates if you throw one of those smiles my way.

  Your friend,

  Jackson

  P.S. Radish says Hi.

  Kaci smacked Anna in the arm. “You cleaned his kitchen?”

  “I lost the bet.”

  “Sugar, that heat fried your brain. Ain’t a Southern gentleman in the world who would’ve expected you to pay up on that.” Kaci fluffed her hair. “Lord-a-mercy, girl, still so much to teach you.”

  And that’s exactly why Anna hadn’t told her she’d done it. She gestured to the note. “Okay, then, oh wise one, what am I supposed to do about this?”

  Kaci stopped mid-fluff and eyed Anna as if she’d stolen the answer key for a test. “You like him?”

  “He’s not my type,” she said, but she could feel her cheeks betraying her.

  Kaci gave her eyebrows a waggle. “Thinking of trying on an old redneck for size?”

  “He doesn’t like me.”

  “Lordy, sugar, there’s not enough coffee in the world for this tonight.” Kaci sucked in what Anna assumed to be a Southern woman’s fortifying breath. “He likes you. He hasn’t come to terms with it yet, but you mark my words, he knows that note to you is the same as talking dirty to other women. Sorta like you like him but you’re not sure about letting a military man back in your life.”

  Anna shook her head. “Not in the plan.”

  Kaci gave her a knowing smile. “You’d do him if he was just a dumb old redneck.”

  “Not the point.”

  “You got some practicing to do before you settle, and he’s a good one to practice with. Good Southern gentleman. Might show you how a man’s supposed to treat a woman.”

  “And that’s good why?” Sounded like an excellent way to get started on the L-word.

  “Shoot, sugar, dating the military’s exactly what you need. Got an expiration date. Perfect for a woman not looking to settle down, don’t you think?”

  “An expiration date?” Yeah, her last date had an expiration date too. It was with an IED in Afghanistan, and he didn’t live to tell about it.

  Kaci flitted a hand. “That didn’t come out right. Let’s get back to the living part. You like him, he likes you, you two should have some fun.” She winked. “Call it stress relief.”

  “Your brand of stress relief is going to give me a heart attack,” Anna said. She stared at the uneven mosaic tiles, and her fingers itched to rub them.

  Kaci gripped Anna’s cold fingers in her warm ones. “Lots of stress relief in keeping them girly bits as fine tuned as that brain.”

  Their favorite male barista suddenly had a coughing fit behind the counter.

  “My girly bits are fine,” Anna hissed, but she suspected Kaci would believe her cheeks over her words.

  “Of course they are, sugar.” Kaci’s wicked grin lingered. “But you ask yourself, what’s the last thing you want touching your girly bits before you get hit by that bus, and I got a feeling that good ol’ military redneck won’t look so bad after all.”

  Later that night, Anna tossed and turned in her bed. In the midst of trying to forget thermo and Rodney and work, she acknowledged to herself Kaci had a point.

  Anna sighed and flopped over, then reached for the light. She crept out into her living room, whispered, “It’s okay, Walker, go back to sleep,” to her betta fish, and pulled a piece of paper and an envelope out of her desk.

  She tapped a pen against her lip for a minute, and started writing.

  Then she shredded it and started again.

  Fifteen minutes and eight sheets of paper later, she was pleased with the result.

  Jackson,

  The kitchen was my pleasure. Especially since I got to meet Enrique. I hope he’s enjoying his new home and that he gives you your other beater back soon. I’ve never met a more well-behaved armadillo.

  As for our rematch, when I win, I’d like to borrow your pole and go fishing. The pie will depend on how gentlemanly you are about losing.

  Cordially,

  Anna

  P.S. Please give my condolences to Radish on her name.

  And when she went back to bed, she slept like a baby.

  Chapter Ten

  He’d never been a man to want what he couldn’t have, until he found appreciation in having the smallest thing he’d thought beyond his charm.

  —The Temptress of Pecan Lane, by Mae Daniels

  BETWEEN THE FUNERAL and a sustainable fuels conference, Jules was out of the office almost two weeks. Her first morning back, she’d overdone the makeup, but it wasn’t enough to hide the puffiness around her eyes. She sped past Anna’s cube with a brief wave.

  Since she’d ignored Anna’s texts and calls, Anna got up and followed her. “Hey.”

  Jules held up a hand. “Not ready for Ms. Sunshine yet, okay? You didn’t come in here and organize my shit while I was out, did you?”

  “Only the important parts.” Anna leaned into the doorway, since she couldn’t go much farther in without tripping over Air Force Instruction manuals and professional magazines. “One of our suppliers dropped off the face of the earth, so we’re short a few samples this week.” Which meant they were backlogged only six test days instead of seven. But since Anna had caught up on studying and sleep while Jules was out, she was managing her panic over the workload fairly decently.

  Even if she was starting to think that managing her girly bits might help too. She had become pretty adept at convincing herself that there was no correlation at all between the notes Kaci kept delivering and those moments when she felt that she could handle what life was tossing at her. But she wasn’t delusional enough to think the notes had nothing to do with her girly bits humming during those same moments.

  Jules tossed her bag behind her desk and flopped in her chair. “Idiots.”

  Anna shook her head. “I worked with Shirley and Todd to try to find a new one. We have a couple of leads.”

  “Better than letting you loose with that damn label maker again.” Jules reached for the button on her computer, but suddenly stopped and looked straight at Anna, though her eyes weren’t really focused.

  “Yes?”

  Jules blinked twice. “Nothing.”

  Anna took a step out of the cube. It always took Jules a little bit to get settled, but grief obviously wasn’t helping. “Holler whenever you’re ready.”

  “I’m ready. Still gotta make a living.” Her eyes went shiny, but she blinked it back and stood. “Where’s the paperwork?”

  Anna snagged a clipboard from the mail holder between their cubes.

  “Samples?” Jules asked.

  “Lined up and waiting.”

  Jules curled a lip. “You didn’t try to do anything else helpful and efficient while I was gone, did you?”

  “I set up a new color-coding system for the samples, and I studied.”

  “That’s nice, but you’re not getting my job.”

  The air conditioner kicked on, but the draft coming from the ceiling vent was warm compared with the chill in the lab. Anna straightened and tugged on her blouse. “Jules? I’m really sorry.”

  “Yeah, well, life sucks.”

  �
��But it still goes on.”

  Five hours later, Anna wasn’t sure how much more going on she could do with Jules’s snarls. When Jules ordered Anna to leave for lunch, she was more than happy to take her thermo book and her normal Monday ham sandwich and fruit cup to the break room on the second floor.

  Because the kitchen next to the lab was too close.

  Anna cracked her thermo notes, and Shirley walked in.

  “Morning okay?” Shirley asked.

  “Work’s getting done.”

  “Not what I asked.”

  Anna held up her hands. “I don’t know what to do.”

  Shirley poured herself a cup of coffee and sat. “There’s never a right thing to do. You do the best you can.” She poked Anna’s book. “How’s class?”

  “I’m learning a lot.” Whether her grade would reflect it was another matter. Even if Kaci was right about Dr. Kelly using a grading curve, a couple of smarty-pants teenagers in Anna’s class would probably blow it for her.

  Brats.

  “Must enjoy it for how much you’re studying,” Shirley said dryly.

  Anna cringed. “The semester started out rough, but I really am learning a lot.”

  “You registered for classes for next semester yet?”

  “I sign up next week.”

  Shirley leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs. “There’s no degree requirement to take the first fuels certification here.”

  Anna’s sandwich sat on her tongue like sawdust. She worked it around a bit, then swallowed it and followed it with a gulp of water. She’d been putting off the certifications while she concentrated on her degree, but Shirley had a look. “Would that allow me to more actively participate in the lab?”

  “Since you’re working on your degree and have a year of experience, it’s highly likely. HR would have to clear it, as would safety and the base contracting officer, but I don’t think that would be a problem.”

  “Are we expanding operations?”

  “Possibly in the civil sector, but it’s a distant possibility. I’m not counting on it.”

  Anna’s pulse bumped. “Jules is very good at her job.”

  “Technically, yes.” Shirley’s pale eyes didn’t waver. “But she’s a military wife now.”

  Anna’s breathing evened out. Brad would eventually move, and Jules would go with him. “What happens if they PCS before I’m done with my degree?”

  “Contract world, kid. Everything’s negotiable.”

  Sounded pretty win-win to Anna. Especially with the experience she’d have on her resume when she was finally done with her degree. “Where do I sign up, and who do I need to talk to?”

  “Check your email. It’s all there.” Shirley stood and took her coffee with her. “Good luck this afternoon.”

  Anna had no doubt she’d need it. But diving back into thermo wasn’t nearly the chore it had felt like a few minutes ago. Her life was finally turning around.

  A WEEK LATER, Anna was so frustrated at work, she actually enjoyed the break of taking her thermo final. At the very least, it turned her brain to jelly so she couldn’t remember how Shirley kept popping into the lab and how Jules kept sniping at Shirley. Anna kept doing her best to stay out of everyone’s way while she started on her fuels specialist level one certification. She scheduled a vacation day for the Friday after finals, and she intended to use every minute of it to sit around and remind herself that she could do this.

  Then she’d spend Saturday and Sunday studying certification materials.

  But by eighty-thirty Friday morning, Anna was right back into the books.

  Because she didn’t do bored well.

  Kaci called at noon. “What’re you doing, sugar?”

  “Nothing,” Anna said.

  “You’re studying, aren’t you?”

  “No?”

  Kaci blew out a breath Anna could almost feel over the phone. “Get on over here. Lance and I both took the afternoon off. Pool’s perfect and we’re fixin’ to slap some ribs on the grill later. We’ve got lots.”

  Anna glanced at her book. Her eyes crossed. “What can I bring?”

  “Shoot, sugar, you don’t have to—oh, wait. Lance says he’d take one of your pies if you’ve got one lying around.”

  Anna stretched her hands up toward the cracked ceiling and smiled. “None lying around, but if you don’t mind me using your oven, I can have one done before dinner. I’ll stop and pick up some fruit on my way.”

  “Huh.” Kaci’s voice grew far away. “Lance, stop by the fruit stand for peaches, and you’ll get your pie.” She came back. “That work, sugar? You need anything else?”

  “I’ll stop at the store. It’s on the way.”

  Anna could picture Kaci tugging her hair out. “Sugar, I’m starting to think you’re hopeless. Now listen up. Sometimes we need to let the men think we need ’em for something, and today’s Lance’s day to be needed. Now are you getting your rear end over here, or do I need to send him over to pick you up too?”

  Anna flipped her book closed. Arguing would take more time than leaving a few dollars to pay for the peaches. “Give me fifteen to put a crust together, and I’ll head over.”

  When she arrived at Kaci’s house, her friend had on a short swimsuit cover-up. She ushered Anna in the front door. The house was still and cool and comfortable. “C’mon in, sugar. Here, let me have the crust. You go get changed. We’ve got some time for a dip before the peaches get here.”

  Anna slipped into the bathroom, changed into her swimsuit, and slathered on sunscreen to compensate for her Norwegian genes. She met Kaci out at the pool, where she slid into the shallow end and sighed. “Thanks. I needed this.”

  “You bet your britches.”

  Anna slipped under the water and let the coolness envelope her. The August heat was far from livable, but the pool was perfect. She came up, swiped her hair out of her eyes, and the two of them soaked and gossiped until Anna’s fingers were pruny.

  Kaci’s ring caught Anna’s eye. “How are the wedding plans coming?”

  The wedding wasn’t until Columbus Day weekend. They would’ve had it over the school break—not during football season—but Lance’s sister wasn’t due home from Afghanistan for another month, and they didn’t want her to miss it.

  “I haven’t felt like shoving a firecracker up my momma’s rear end in at least a week, so that’s good,” Kaci said. “I’m telling you, eloping’s the way to go. Can’t believe I’m letting him insist on treating me like a princess. Might near kill me.” She grinned. “But he’s worth it. This one’s gonna stick.”

  “You bet your britches, baby,” Lance said from the door. “Got a whole load of peaches for you, Anna. You want us to slice ’em up?”

  She moved toward the stairs. “No, no, I’ll do it.”

  “You sure? I got a big pocket knife.”

  Anna scrambled out of the pool. He’d probably lose half the peaches in the skin, or—Gram would have a heart attack—not peel them at all, and the pie wouldn’t bake even if the peaches weren’t peeled and sliced uniformly.

  “You quit teasing her or you won’t be getting any,” Kaci chided.

  “Pie, or…?”

  “Sugar, it’s all pie.”

  “Put a sock on the door if you decide to go skinny-dipping,” Anna said.

  “You bet, sugar.” Kaci winked.

  Anna wrapped a towel around herself and barely made it to the door before Lance cannon-balled into the deep end, sending water splashing across half the yard and the windows.

  Inside, she shuffled through the drawers, looking for the knives that she was certain had been next to the sink last time she was here, but she couldn’t find them. When she straightened, Jackson was watching her from behind the small counter between the kitchen and the living room.

  Her heart gave a big thud, but she wasn’t sure if it was surprise or excitement. She hadn’t seen him since he’d left her in his kitchen.

  But they’d traded plenty
of notes through Kaci. His momma must’ve kept him well-stocked with that paper.

  Today he wore a different pair of board shorts but the same faded Alabama T-shirt and the same big, crinkly eyed smile. His hair was shorn so tight she wouldn’t have suspected curls, and his face was clean-shaven. “Hey, there, Anna Grace.”

  Something fluttered in her chest at the way her name rolled off his tongue. Something suspiciously similar to a pheromone-induced adrenaline rush. “Do you have to call me that?” she asked, though it was impossible not to smile back.

  “Well, now, it’s pretty, and it fits you, so I reckon I do.” He settled on a barstool on the other side of the counter, propping up his tan forearms. He grabbed a peach and shifted it between his hands. “Brought some extra peaches so you can make one of those just for me after our rematch tonight.”

  Another frisson of awareness prickled her wet skin. She bent over and, out of desperation, peeked in the dishwasher to hide her reaction. Bingo. There were the knives. She plucked a paring knife out of the silverware section, then gave one of the peaches a sniff. Peach season was winding down, but these smelled sweet and yummy.

  He looked yummy. In an I’m only in it for the lust kind of way.

  Maybe Kaci was onto something with that expiration-date thing. “Nobody told me you were coming, so I only brought one crust,” she said, and she gave him a wink Kaci would’ve been proud of. Her cheeks warmed, but she didn’t care.

  Because he’d leaned closer. His gaze dropped to her mouth.

  And she had a suspicion he wasn’t as dumb as he wanted her to believe.

  “No problem,” he said. “Kaci probably has flour and bacon grease somewhere in here.”

  She almost dropped the peach. “Bacon grease? In pie crust?”

  “Ain’t that how your momma taught you to make it?”

  “My momma taught me to make pie taste like pie and pig taste like pig.”

  “Then what do you do with your bacon grease?”

  In the middle of her shudder, she caught the look. The I’m playing games with the uptight Yankee look.